Cornhusker State News

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods has announced the sentencing of Guadalupe Ramirez, 40, from North Platte, Nebraska. Ramirez was sentenced on July 3, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced him to 324 months in prison without parole and a subsequent 10-year term of supervised release.

The case against Ramirez began in 2021 when special agents from the FBI and task force officers with the Cooperative Organization for Drug Enforcement (CODE) launched an investigation into drug activities in central and west-central Nebraska. Known as "Shrek," Ramirez became a key figure in a multi-state drug trafficking network that funneled methamphetamine into Nebraska via mail from California and Mexico. The court determined that between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine were trafficked through Nebraska during this operation.

The investigation linked Ramirez to firearms, revealing discussions on his Facebook profile about weapons and a video showing him firing a gun from a vehicle used for drug distribution.

Judge Bazis noted that Ramirez acted as "the second in command" of the operation, telling him during sentencing that he was responsible for moving significant quantities of drugs through Nebraska.

This lengthy investigation was honored by the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as its 2024 Community Impact Operation of the Year. Midwest HIDTA Director Dan Neill highlighted the competitive nature of this award against larger cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.

FBI Special Agent Eugene Kowel remarked on the harmful impact of drug trafficking: “The trafficking of drugs into our communities is not a victimless crime." He acknowledged the collaborative efforts leading to multiple indictments and arrests, as well as seizures that dismantled the drug network in central Nebraska.

U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods praised CODE Task Force's work: “The outstanding work... demonstrates that full prosecutorial and investigation collaboration can accomplish tremendous outcomes."

These cases were investigated by various law enforcement agencies across west-central/southwest Nebraska including federal agencies like the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, state patrols, local police departments, and several specialized task forces.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at disrupting high-level criminal organizations threatening U.S. security using a prosecutor-led approach.